[Paper Review] A Native Hawaiian-led summary of the current impact of constructing the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea

Sara S. Kahanamoku, Rosanna A. Alegado+17 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Jan 1, 2020

Pacific and Southeast Asian StudiesSocial Sciences11 references18 citations

TL;DR

This Native Hawaiian-led paper critiques the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project on Maunakea through an Indigenous lens, highlighting historical injustices, the marginalization of Native Hawaiian voices, and the failure of astronomers to engage in meaningful consent. It proposes actionable, community-centered reforms rooted in free, prior, and informed consent to restore trust and ensure Indigenous sovereignty in scientific development on sacred lands.

ABSTRACT

Maunakea, the proposed site of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), is a lightning-rod topic for Native Hawaiians, Hawaii residents, and the international astronomy community. In this paper we, Native Hawaiian natural scientists and allies, identify historical decisions that impact current circumstances on Maunakea and provide approaches to acknowledging their presence. Our aim is to provide an Indigenous viewpoint centered in Native Hawaiian perspectives on the impacts of the TMT project on the Hawaiian community. We summarize the current Maunakea context from the perspective of the authors who are trained in the natural sciences (inclusive of and beyond astronomy and physics), the majority of whom are Native Hawaiian or Indigenous. We highlight three major themes in the conflict surrounding TMT: 1) physical demonstrations and the use of law enforcement against the protectors of Maunakea; 2) an assessment of the benefit of Maunakea astronomy to Native Hawaiians; and 3) the disconnect between astronomers and Native Hawaiians. We close with general short- and long- term recommendations for the astronomy community, which represent steps that can be taken to re-establish trust and engage in meaningful reciprocity and collaboration with Native Hawaiians and other Indigenous communities. Our recommendations are based on established best principles of free, prior, and informed consent and researcher-community interactions that extend beyond transactional exchanges. We emphasize that development of large-scale astronomical instrumentation must be predicated on consensus from the local Indigenous community about whether development is allowed on their homelands. Proactive steps must be taken to center Indigenous voices in the earliest stages of project design.

Motivation & Objective

• To center Native Hawaiian perspectives in the discourse on the TMT construction on Maunakea.
• To identify historical and ongoing impacts of the TMT project on Native Hawaiian communities.
• To address the disconnect between astronomers and Indigenous communities regarding land use and consent.
• To provide actionable, long-term recommendations for the astronomy community to achieve ethical collaboration and reciprocity with Indigenous peoples.

Proposed method

• The authors, primarily Native Hawaiian natural scientists and allies, conducted a collective analysis of historical and contemporary events related to Maunakea and the TMT project.
• They synthesized perspectives from Indigenous knowledge systems, scientific training, and community activism to frame the conflict beyond a purely scientific or technical lens.
• The paper draws on principles of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) to evaluate current practices in astronomical development.
• It uses narrative and structural analysis to document the impacts of law enforcement actions during protests and the erasure of Native Hawaiian epistemologies in scientific planning.
• The authors applied ethical frameworks for researcher-community engagement to propose reforms in project governance and consultation processes.
• The recommendations are grounded in decolonial research practices and emphasize early inclusion of Indigenous voices in project design.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How have historical decisions regarding Maunakea shaped current tensions around the TMT project?
• RQ2 To what extent do current astronomical development practices on Maunakea acknowledge or respect Native Hawaiian cultural and spiritual relationships to the land?
• RQ3 What are the impacts of law enforcement actions during protests on the Maunakea protectors and the broader Indigenous community?
• RQ4 How can the astronomy community establish meaningful, reciprocal relationships with Indigenous communities rather than transactional collaborations?
• RQ5 What structural changes are needed to ensure that large-scale scientific projects on Indigenous lands proceed only with community consent?

Key findings

• The TMT project has caused significant cultural and emotional harm to Native Hawaiians due to the lack of genuine consent and recognition of Indigenous sovereignty.
• Physical demonstrations on Maunakea were met with law enforcement actions that further alienated the Native Hawaiian community and intensified resistance.
• The benefits of Maunakea's astronomy to Native Hawaiians are minimal or nonexistent when measured through Indigenous values and knowledge systems.
• Astronomers and scientific institutions have largely failed to engage in equitable, culturally responsive consultation with Native Hawaiian communities.
• The current model of scientific development on Indigenous lands is ethically unsustainable and must be replaced with processes rooted in free, prior, and informed consent.
• Long-term trust can only be rebuilt through structural changes that prioritize Indigenous leadership and co-design in all phases of scientific projects.